Conference Generates Plenty Of Ideas And Thoughts Within The Voluntary Sector

Published on: 7 Apr, 2016
Updated on: 9 Apr, 2016

Voluntary Action South West Surrey’s annual conference was this year titled Generate, and it did just that – with a full complement of delegates.

Sir Stuart Etherington, chief executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, speaks at Voluntary Action South West Surrey’s conference in the lecture theatre at Christ’s College.

They heard a number of speakers and attended workshops all based around the voluntary sector.

Held once again at Christ’s College in Bellfields on Tuesday, April 5, the keynote speaker was Sir Stuart Etherington, the chief executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.

The theme of his speech was centered around the Government’s focus on the voluntary sector over recent years. In it he noted that there is currently no clear policy on the sector from the two leading political parties. He told delegates to think what the Big Society ideology would have been like now if it had had a proper policy.

From Voluntary Action, David Rose spoke about the success of the project he co-ordinates called Joining In! It supports community involvement in the Westborough ward of Guildford. He gave examples of how the community is coming together engaging in many positive and popular activities, and the awareness he is making of Guildford Borough Council’s Project Aspire. This is a scheme asking communities what improvements they would like to see created from a £250,000 funding programme.

While Helen Linnell, along with Dom Frazer of Guildford entertainement venue the Boileroom, gave details of SOUP – a revolutionary new, easy and fun way in which communities can raise funds for local projects.

Other speakers included: Phelim Brady of the Guildford & Waverley Clinical Commissioning Group; Surrey County Council’s Rebecca Brooker, who works in adult social care, and its procurement involvement officer Cindy Nadesan; Simone Booth, who is involved in a timebank project in Lewisham, a social network of local people who give and receive support from each other.

Nigel Smallbone led a workshop based on his personal thoughts on developing and generating new projects. He is pictued with a book her urged attendees to read and brought along a commemorative plate linked to football and a man of vision, the late Jimmy Hill.

Among the various workshops, former Voluntary Action staff member Nigel Smallbone focused on ways he has worked in developing and generating new projects. He gave first-hand examples and tips on how to make such projects work. He titled it ‘Jimmy Hill and me’. Although he admitted he isn’t much of a football fan, he admires the work, enthusiasm and strength of the late Jimmy Hill whose pioneering work changed professional football for fans and players alike.

While Helen Cammack led a workshop on a webmail system she is involved in developing called interests.me. The title being ‘How to use email and social media for your group without tearing your hair out!’

Voluntary Action is using interests.me and taking part in a pilot scheme for it.

Inspirational speaker, trainer and coach Panos Panagou, closed the conference encouraging attendees to ensure all the things they learned on the day were both memorable and actionable.

Nicola Bassani of the Diocese of Guildford’s Communities Engagement Team talks to a delegate in the marketplace.

In the modern school’s atrium there was a marketplace with organisations and businesses giving details of their projects – and also some cows.

Pictured with one of the Cow Parade models, from left: Voluntary Action volunteer Chris Steele, its chairman Mike Hughes, staff member Laura Tufnail, volunteer Pat Stacey and its chief officer Carol Dunnett.

Not real ones, but models in artwork form and promoting the forthcoming public art event, Cow Parade, aimed to help raise money for local community projects and enterprise schemes that benefit and enhance the Surrey Hills landscape.

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